Synopses & Reviews
“No one in my mothers family ever talks about anything that can be categorized as unpleasant or as having to do with emotions, and, as a result, they no longer have anything to say. For them its not a matter of keeping secrets; its a matter of being polite, mannerly, and tough. The McLaughlins couldnt spill their woes or ask for help even if they wanted to, because they dont have the vocabulary. They are stranded within themselves, convinced that the only way is to silently persevere.”
Within Arms Reach follows three generations of an Irish-American Catholic family who are jarred into crisis by an unexpected pregnancy. This lyrical first novel is told through six different points of view, including those of the unmarried, pregnant Gracie, a local advice columnist; and her grandmother, the matriarch, who is struggling with her commitments to both the living and the dead. Within Arms Reach is a poignant reminder of how interconnected our lives are with those we love, how much more we inherit than wills decree, and how the ghosts of our ancestors walk by our sides every day.
Ann Napolitano artfully paints a riveting portrait of a family in crisis, depicting how the ties that bind us so closely to one another are often the ones that cause us the most pain. As the McLaughlins respond to the unplanned and profound change in Gracies life, their own memories and personal stories begin to emerge.
In the end, Napolitano creates a family quilt of sorts, each persons life and actions closely woven throughout the fabric of the past, present, and future. Within Arms Reach is a rich and deeply satisfying narrative of guilt, love, betrayal, and the ultimate loyalty—that of blood.
Synopsis
So says Grade Leary in the first line of "Within Arm's Reach. The elder daughter of the eldest of Gram McLaughlin's six surviving children, Gracie thinks about giving birth because, at 29 and single, she finds herself pregnant. Her decision to break up with the father and keep the baby is just one of a series of events for which the McLaughlin clan--largely successful, competitive, and judgmental--isn't prepared. How each family member copes with Grade's news, as well as with their own individual crises, form the strands of a mesmerizing story of guilt, love, betrayal, and the loyally of blood. "Within Arm's Reach reads like a female version of Jonathan Franzen's "The Corrections, while its lyrical and beautiful prose can be compared to such fine literary talents as Ann Beattie, Alice Munro, and Julia Glass.
Synopsis
Single, 29 and pregnant, Gracie's decision to keep the baby is just one of a series of events for which her family--largely successful, competitive, and judgmental--isn't prepared. Their individual responses and crises form the strands of a mesmerizing story of guilt, love, betrayal, and the loyalty of blood.
About the Author
Ann Napolitano is a graduate of Connecticut College and received her MFA from New York University, where she studied with Paule Marshall and Dani Shapiro. She lives in New York City.